Bottle-filling machine.



No. 662,087. Patented Nov. 20,1900. F. L. NICHOLS '& W. M. FUWLEB.

BOTTLE FILLING MACHINE.

(Application filed May 23, 1900.)

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(No Model.)

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No. 662,087. v Patented Nov. 20, |900. F. L NICHOLS @I w. M; FowLEII.

BIITTLE FILLING MACHINE.

(Application ld May 23,A 1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 42.

(No Model.)

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ATENT Orifice,

iUNirn FRANK L. NICHOLS, OF NEI/Y YORK, N. Y., AND WILLIAM M. FOWLER, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNORS, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGN-4 MENTS, TO TIIE NEY IDEAS MACHINE COMPANY, OF WEST VIRGINIA;

BOTTLE-FILLING MACHINE.

SPECFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o, 662,087, dated November 20, 1900;l

Application filed May 23,1900v Serial No. 17,631. tNo model.)

To all whom t may concern,.- upward ends in a series in said head, together Be it known that we, FRANK L. NICHOLS, with asupply-reservoir and a drainage-cham; Y of the city of New York, (Brooklyn,) county ber respectively common to the series of tips, of Kings, State of New York, and WILLIAM of iiexible oryielding and extendible connece 5 MILES FOWLER, of Stamford, county of Fairtions severally establishing communication g5 field, State of Connecticut, citizens of the between said reservoir and the fluid-inlet of United States, have invented certain newand each filler-tip and between the air and overuseful Improvements in Bottle-Filling Ma- Iiow outlet of each said tip and said drainchines, of which the following is a full, clear, age-chamber, whereby the adjustment of the to and exact description, reference being had filler-tips relatively to each otherin said head 6o to the accompanying drawings, forming part may be made and the necessary communicaof this specification. tions between each said tip and the said res- This invention relates to a machine for [illervoir and drainage-chamber be at all times ing bottles and other vessels in which a series maintained; and the invention still further of ller-tips is carried bya reciprocatoryhead comprises the novel structural features in a 65 and in which the bottles or vessels to be filled, machine of this class hereinafter particularly arranged in successive parallel ranks in a described and as more at length recited in the group or bank, have their ranks successively claims. presented to the f1ller-tips, so that said tips In the drawings, Figure l is a front elevazo respectively will enter the mouths or fillingtion, partly sectional, of the tip-bearing head 7o apertures of the members of a rank thereof and the standards in which it has reciprocain performing the filling operation during the tory movement. Fig. 2 is a plan of the device thrust of the tip-bearing head toward them; detached from the tip-bearing head, which is and it also relates to a machine of' this class desirably employed to engage and effect the in which the reciprocatory tip-bearing head adjustment of the filler-tips relatively to each 7; is carried and actuated by bars having lonother on said head. Fig. 3 is a vertical secgitudinal playin ways provided in standards tional view, enlarged, on line wat through the on the machine-frame; and it further relates tip-bearing head and the supply-reservoirand to a machine of this class in which each fillerdrainage-chamber and illustrating a exible 3o tip of the series thereof carried by a reciproor yielding and extendible connection 'oe- 8o catory head has individual "fsmnnlunication, tween a filler-tip of the series thereof on said respectively, with a supply-reservoir and a head and said reservoir and chamber; and drainage-chamber carried by said head and Fig. fi is an elevation of the inner face of one common to the series of tips for the inlet of of the standards in which the tip-bearing filling iiuid or material to and the outlet of head reciproca-tes. 85 air and any overflow from said tips. It will be understood that in the machine This invention consists, primarily, in the to which this invention relates means, such combination, with the tip-bearing head in a as a platform or table having movement machine of the class stated, of filler-tips movacross the plane of the path of movement of 4o ably seated at their upward ends in a series the reciprocatory tipbearing head, is em- 9o in said head and adjustable thereon at deterployed on which the bottles or other vessels initiate and uniform distances apart succesto be filled are arranged in successive parallel sively, whereby the filler-tips of the series ranks in agroup or bank, and that said ranks thereof may be adjust-ed to register with and thereof are successively moved to position enter the mouths or filling-apertures of botunder the reciprocatory head, so that the 95 Iles or vessels of any uniform diameter premouths or filling-apertures of the bottles or sented to said series of tips in a rank; and the vessels will severally registerwith and during invention further comprises the combination, a downward thrust of said head be entered with the tip-bearing head in a machine of this by the filler-tips on said head. Such bottle o class and filler-tips movably seated at their supporting and moving means is not shown too herein, as no feature of the invention relates thereto, and the nature and function'thereof will be understood.

A is the tip-bearing head, which extends laterally of the machine and is desirably provided With the brackets t at its respective 0p-A posite ends that are connected to bars B, which severally are seated in and have play longitudinally of ways b, provided 0n the inward faces of the standards B', rising on the machine-frame, Wherebylthe head A has reciprocatory movement vertically on said standards. The bars B are desir-ably given a reciprocatory movement *in theiisaid ways' by a link b', connecting each said bar with similar crank-arms b2 on a rock-shaft b3, as

shown in Fig. 4. The said tipbearing head Aon its supporting-'bars B permits the -head` to be adjusted, as desired,relativelyto the height of theA bottles or `vessels torbelil'led,

which are carriedbya platfornL-as described, across the plane of the path of movements of said head.

In carrying out a feature of the inventionf the filler-tips C arel adj ustablefi'elatifvelyitoi each other on the head A at determinate and uniform distances apart successively; l and suchadjustability of the tips is desirablysi-f 1n nltaneous for each one of the seriesthereo, and for this purpose it is desirable `that-fthe tips G be` mounted on* the head Afbyimeans of sockets C', in Whichthe itips areseverally screw-seated, Fig. 3,#and thatu said sockets `be` severally provided with hanged heads whichreach into a `longitudinal recess af inithe'headf A and withsaid flanges seatingiandplayin'gi in longitudinal ways a3 inthe wall of said re# cess, and for economy iir constructionfiandr convenience in the assembling of ithe parts the -fianges on` the socket-heads are desirably constituted of plates c, preferably rectangu-l lar, which are fastened by bolts c'ito the up-i pei-ends of the said socket-head c2, as'indi-` cated inFigs. 2 and 3,1and, furthermore-,that thetips G of the series thereof Vbe severally engaged and connected by alazy-tongsdevice,r asindicatedi at D. In arrangingthis lazytongs'device the tongs shouldbe-composed oflinks cl of uniform lengtl1s,ias illustrated in iller'tips be made -by seatingthe upper cyseries i longitudinallbTV1 connection of the series of said links, which stud reaches to and engages and has play in away a4 onthehead A andfwhich way a4 may be formed in the under face of a bracket a5, bolted upon and extending laterally from the front side of said head A. By means of said stud d2 the tongs1 D twill" fbeifnmintainedi in pl'operifpositi'onrelatively to the -head A duringthennevements `off! the tongs `und .tips 1in i effecting theadjiustment of theilatter .in the head relatively to zeachf other.

It is evident thatibyfineans of thedescribed devicesithetips C of Itheseries -thereofmiay l read ilyi `andi conveniently i be` Asiirnultaneously adjusted i at@ determinate and .uniform distancesi apart/successively; so1that'the ller- `tips carriedl'bythe head A lmay at the pleas-` ure of the operator of the machine be `quickly i adj'ustedto register withandi enter the'mouths orfillingfap'ertirres of bottles'or other. vessels ofrany `u niform lateral` diameter arranged and` presenteditothe series ofi saidtips insuccessive` parallel ranks.A

, In carryingouti'a further feature of the in,`

vention a flexible `or `yielding and extensible connection, `asiat iE,- establishes com munica `tionrbetween a supplyreserivoir Fr and `the iluidtinle'tltoeach [iller-tipoif-` the sereslthereV of, anda similar connection,` as at E, esiab lishes communication :between thefair-vent and overflow-of eachtusaid i fillertip wand a drainage-.chamber Fi, as illustrated infliigf.`

It is desirable that the tipfsockets Ci be sev- `erallyfformedrwith :ithe'space or chamber c5 thereinvaboveithe upper end ofi-the iiller-tip seatedtherein.` andcwith `whichthewinlet c et' thertipicommunicates and-with" the -internal circumferential groove `ci" in Ithe socket-wall to register `with a groove c8 on the itipfhead,` into 1 which the `air=vent and overflow-passage ,ofi said `tip opens,l asiat c, yaudfthe sockets are also desirably provided with laterally-.extendf` edi ni les c10 and c res ectivel1 'leading pp a p .l c

from said chambers c5 andgrooves c7 therein;`

It is also.desirable 4thatiithe 4reservoir F` and the-overflowor drainage chamber F'., which are Vcominonito theserieslof` filler-tips, as indic-atedr inFig. 1, be 4mounted on the head A inthe linannerzshown-that is to say, with the'idrainage-chanlber Ff supported directly by a bracketI or' brackets a9 onand extended rearwardly ofsaid head,*as shown in Fig. 3, and withithewreservoir F seated on top of said chamber Ff, as indicated. i Thetreservoir F is preferably cylindrical,-as shown, andthe upper side of the `chamber F may ipe corre-1i IOO IIO

spondingly concave throughout its length to give a saddle-scat for the reservoir, as illustrated in Fig. A fluid-inlet for t-he reservoir F may be provided atf, and the chamber F is conveniently given an outlet through a drainage-tube f', which may discharge into a receptacle placed at the side of the machine.

In the wall of the reservoir F an outlet-aperture]2 is`provided for individual communication therefrom to each of the t-ips of the series thereof, and the said reservoir and the chamber F being arranged as described a a plug G, Fig. 3, is provided to pass through an outwardly-flanged aperture f3 in the bottom wall in the chamber F' and into an inwardly-flanged aperture f2 in the opposite wall thereof coincident to an aperture in the bottom of the reservoir, and said plug is preferably conical or tapering and seats to correspondingly-flared internal faces on the flanges of said apertures fzf and is held to its seat by a collar g, screwed eXteriorly of the tiange on aperture f3 and having an internally-projecting iange g' to engage an external shoulder g2 on the plug. The plug has the passage g3, leading directly through it and communicating with the reservoir F,vand the passage g4, leading through it to one side thereof and opening laterally thereof to communicate with the chamber F. The plug is desirably provided at its outward end with preferably radially or horizontally turned nipples g5 Q6, respectively leading from the passages g3 g4. It is to be .understood that the plugs Gare eniployed in a series corresponding in number to that of the filler-tips, and the nipples g5 and g on each plug of the series thereof may severally be given a flexible or yielding and extendible connection with the respective nipples C10 c11 on corresponding tip-sockets C' of the series thereof by the respective tubes E and E', which are desirably formed of soft rubber and given a length to reach severally between the respective nipples C10 g5 and c QG when the sockets carrying the tips are adjusted on the head A at their widest limit of distance apart, the described formation of the tubes E and E' being such that they will accommodate themselves to a shortening of the distances between the respective nipples to which they are joined when the tip-sockets and tips are adjusted more closely together on the head A.

It is evident that by means of the described devices arranged as set forth the adjustment of the filler-tips C relatively to each other on the head, as hereinbefore described and for the purpose hereinbefore stated, may be made and the necessary communications between each said tip and the said reservoir and drainage-cham ber be at all times maintained.

It should be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular devices herein shown and described whereby the adjustability of the tiller-tips relatively to each other on the reciprocatory head and the yielding and extendible connections set forth between the filler-tips and the supply-reservoir and drainage-chamber are attained, but that any other known and equivalent devices may be employed for any or all of said purposes without substantial Variation from the stated features of the invention.

It is evident that a filling-machine containing the described features of this invention will be capableof being quickly and easily adjusted to effect the filling of bottles or vessels of various and different dimensions, the bottles or vessels of any one uniform dimension being arranged in ranks, each of which is coin posed of said bottles or vessels corresponding in number to the number of filler-tips of the series thereof in the machine, and said ranks being presented to said series of tips in the usual and well-known manner in machines ot' this class.

Vhat we claitn as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a bottlelling machine the combination with the tip-supporting head, of fillertips movably and connectedly seated at their upward ends, in a series, in ways in said head, and simultaneously tixedly adjustable thereon at determinate uniform distances apart successively in said ways.

2. In a bottle-filling machine, the combination with the tip-supporting head, of fillertips severally movably seated at their upward ends, in a series, in ways in said head, and a lazy-tongs device common to and operatively connecting the several' tiller-tips of the series thereof.

3. In a bottle-filling machine the combination with the tip-supporting head, of fillet'- tips carried in a series by said head and severally movable thereon relatively to each other, together with a lazy-tongs device composed of links of uniform lengths and having transverse apertures in the pivotal joints of the arms constituting the respective links thereof,and pivotal heads or bearings respect.- ively provided on each filler-tip and severally seated in said transverse apertures in the tongs-links.

4. In a bottle-filling machine the combination with the tip-supporting head, of fillertips carried in a series by said head and severally movable thereon relatively to each other, together with a lazy-tongs device composed of links of unil'orln lengths, pivotal heads or bearings respectively provided on each fillertip and severally seated in transverse apertures in the pivotal joints of the pairs of artns constituting the respective tongs-links, and a stud in a pivotal connection between links of said tongs and reaching to, engaging and having play in a guideway on the tip-supporting head.

5. ln a bottle-filling machine the combination with the tip-supporting head, of fillet'- tips carried ina series by said head and severally movable thereon, a lazy-tongs device composed of links of uniform lengths, pivotal IOO IIO

heads o1' bearings respectively provided on each filler-tip and severally seated in transverse apertures in the pivotal joints of the pairs of arms constituting a similar number of links in the respective portions of the tongs beyond the joints between the links at the middle of said tongs, and a stud projecting from a joint between the links at said middle of said tongs and reaching to, engaging and having play in a guideway on the tip-supporting head.

6. In a bottle-filling machine the combination with the tip-supporting head having a longitudinal recess in its downward face with longitudinal ways in the wall of said recess, of filler-tips severally provided at their upward endsI with lateral flanges to engage and play in said ways in said recess in the tipsupporting head.

7. In a bottle-filling machine the combination with the tip-supporting head having a longitudinal recess in its downward face with longitudinal ways in the wall of said recess, of a series of sockets, each having a body into Vwhich the upper end of a filler-tip seats and a head which reaches into said recess in the tip-supporting head and carries a laterali ange which engages and plays in the Ways in said recess-wall.

8. In a bottle-filling machine, the combination with the tip-supporting head having a longitudinal recess in its downward face with longitudinal ways in the wall of said recess, of a series of sockets, each having a body into which the upper end of a filler-tip seats and a cylindrical head which reaches into said recess, a laterally-projecting fiangeplate secured to the top of said head with its edges seated and playing in said ways in the recesswall, a lazy-tongs device having transverse apertures in the pivotal joints of the pairs of arms composing the tongs-links and through which apertures the cylindrical heads of the sockets severally pass, a shoulder on each socket-body to which the under faces of the respective tongs-links severally engage, and sleeves on the socket-heads between the upward faces of the tongs-links and the under faces of the flange-plates on said socket-heads.

9. In a bottle-filling machine the combination with a tip-supporting head, of lller-tips movably seated at their upward ends, in a series, in ways in said head, and severally provided at their said upward ends with an inlet to the filler-tu be of the tip and an outlet from the air and overliow vent thereof, together with a supply-reservoir and a separate drainage-chamber carried by said head, and flexible, extendible connections respectively establishing communication between the said reservoir and the filler-tube inlet of each tip and between the air and overflow outlet of each said tip and said drainage-chamber.

10. In a bottle-filling machine the combination with a tip-supporting head and a supplyreservoir and separate drainage chamber carried by said head, of a series of sockets severally provided with heads which are movably seated in ways in the tip-supporting head and bodies which severally receive the upward ends of and sustain filler-tips of a series thereof, and also severally provided with passages respectively communicating with the filler-tube and the air and overow vent of each filler-tip, together with plugs, in aseries, severally provided with passages respectively leading from said reservoir and into said drainage -chamber, and yielding or fiexible and extendible connections severally establishing communication respectively'between the reservoir outlet-passages in said plugs and the filler-tube inlet-passages in said sockets, and between the air and overflow passages in said sockets and the drainage-chamber inletpassages in said plugs.

1l. In a bottle-filling machine the combination with a tip-supporting head, ller-tlps carried in a series by said head and movably seated therein, and a fluid-supply reservoir and a drainage-chamber, in juxtaposition and common to the series of tips and having coincident apertures in their couj unetive walls and apertures registering therewith in the opposite wall of said drainage-chamber, of plugs severally seated in said apertures in the reservoir and chamber walls and provided with passages respectively communicating with said reservoir and chamber, together with nipples respectively leading from said passages, and flexible or yielding and extendible connections respectively establishingcommunicalion between said reservoir-passage nipples and the fiuid -inlets of the several filler-tips and between the air and overflow outlets of said several tips and the drainagechamber-passage nipples on said plugs.

12. In a bottle-filling machine, the combination with the reciprocatory head which carries a series of iller-tips, of a drainage-chamber, common to said tips and seated upon said head, and having an inwardly-concave top Wall provided with inwardly fianged and dared apertures therein and with outwardly tlanged and flared apertures in its bottom wall, severally registering with the apertures in the top wall, a cylindrical supply-reservoir seated on the concave top wall of said chamber and having apertures in its wall coincident with the apertures in said top wall of the drainage-chamber, and tapering or conical plugs, severally seated in said apertures in the bottom wall of said chamber and the coincident apertures in the top wall of said chamber and the wall of said reservoir, and provided with passages respectively communicating with said coincident apertures in said walls of said reservoir and drainage-` chamber and with said drainage-chamber, together with a anged collar seated upon the flange of each aperture in the bottom wall of said chamber and engaging a circumferential shoulder on each said plug.

13. In a bottle-filling machine in which the fl uid-sup ply reservoir and the drainage-cham- IOO IIO

ber are located in juxtaposition with the former above the latter and with coincident apertures in their adjacent Walls and a flaring flange projectinginwardly of said chamber -around the said aperture in said Wall thereof, together with an outwardly dared and flanged aperture in the opposite wall of said chamber registering with said coincident apertures, a plug having a tapering body, to seat in said flanged apertures in said chamber-Walls, and a larger passage longitudinally through it, to communicate with the aperture in said chamber wall leading to said reservoir, and a smaller passage leading from the outward end of the plug to an opening in its side, to coinmunicate with said chamber, and provided with radially or laterally turned nipples severally leading, at the outward end of the plug, from said respective passages therein.

14. In a bottle-filling machine in which filler-tips are seated, in a series, in a supportinghead,asocket toindividually sustain each said filler-tip in said head, composed of a top to seat in said head and a body to receive and seat the threaded upper end of the tip and havingachamberabove said upper end of the seated tip with which the fluid-inlet of the tip communicates, 'and an internal circumferential groove to register with a corresponding external circumferential groove on the tip into Which the air and overflow Vent of the tip opens, together with lateral apertures in the socket-wall respectively leading from said chamber and groove in said body thereof.

Signed at New York city,State of New York, this 11th day of May, A. D. 1900.

FRANK L. NICHOLS. WILLIAM M. FOWLER..

Witnesses:

ARDEN S. FITCH, R. L. YOUNG. 

